Glossary of ancient Egyptian terms and names

Aah, Iah

Moon sacred to Osiris, Djehuty (Thoth) and Khonsu

Abdu Heba

Ruler of Jerusalem, contemporary of Akhenaten

Achotep, Ahhotep, Ahotep

Apparently two queens, although it has been suggested that there may have been just one:

1) Queen, daughter of Tao I, sister/wife of Tao II Sekenenre

2) Queen, possibly wife of Kamose

Achenaten, Akhenaten, Akhenaton, Akhnaten, Akhnaton

Amenhotep IV, a New Kingdom pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Aegis (Greek)

Ornamental collar, menat

Ahmose, Amasis

1) Two pharaohs - Ahmose I 18th dynasty and Ahmose II, 26th dynasty;

2) Ahmose-Nefertiri, Queen of the 18th Dynasty;

3) Ahmose Son of Ebana, admiral under king Ahmose I (Autobiography)

4) Ahmose Pen-nekhbet, high official under Ahmose I (Autobiography)

Akhet (Ax.t [1]), Shait

Season of inundation, from mid-July to mid-November in Ptolemaic times

Akhetaten, Al Amarna, El Amarna

Capital of Akhenaten, 18th dynasty

Akh (Ax)

at times translated as 'soul', cf. Body and Soul

Akhu, akhet (Ax.t): The blessed dead, ancestors

Akhtoy, Kheti

Alashia, Alasyia

Probably Cyprus

Amen, Ammon, Amon, Amun, Amoun, Amun-Re or Amen-Re

Main God during the New Kingdom, identified with Zeus by the Greeks

Amenemhab, Amenemheb

War companion of Thutmose III (Amenemhab's Biography)

Amenemhet, Amenemhat

Four pharaohs of the 12th dynasty

Amenhotep

1) 4 New Kingdom pharaohs, 18th dynasty, often called by the (incorrect) Greek form Amenophis;

2) Son of Hapu, scribe, favourite of Amenhotep III (Autobiographical inscription)

Amenemope, Amenemopet

1) Family of high New Kingdom officials;

2) Vice-roy of Kush under Seti I;

3) Vizier under Amenhotep II

Amenirdis

Wife of the God (High priestess of Amen)

Amenmes

New Kingdom pharaoh, 19th dynasty

Amenmose

1) Son of Thutmose I and Ahmose, general;

2) Brother of Nefertari, mayor of Thebes;

3) Son of Bekenptah, officer under the Ramessides

Amenophis

according to Manetho Greek for Amenhotep and still often used in this sense; philologically correct for Amenemope (imn-m-ipt)

Amenti

Realm of the Dead, cf Duat

Ammit, Ammut

Chimaera, destroyer of the hearts of dead who were not justified

Amorites, Amurru

People in Retenu (Today's Lebanon and western Syria)

Amratian

Middle pre-dynastic period, 3550 to 3400 BCE, also called Naqada IA and IB

Amulet

Charm

Anch, ankh (anx)

Symbol of enduring life

Anchesenamen, Anchesenamun, Ankhesenamen, Ankhesenamun, Ankhesenaten, Ankhesenpaaten

Wife of Tutankhamen, 18th dynasty

Anchnesmerire, Ankhnesmeryre

Queen, Mother of Pepi II

Anhuret, Anhur, Onuris

Identified with the Greek Ares. His main cult was at Papremis

Ankh

Life, its hieroglyph was often worn as an amulet

Ankhmahor

6th dynasty vizier

Ankhtifi

nomarch in Upper Egypt during the FIP

Anubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu, Hermanubis

God, conductor of souls

Antef

see Intef

Antefoker

Mayor and vizier under Senusret I

Anubis, Anpu

God of the necropolis

Apep

see Apopis

Apepi

Two Hyksos kings

Aphrodite

the Greek equivalent of Hathor

Apis, Serapis, Osiris-Apis

Bull symbolizing fertility venerated at Memphis

Apophis, Apopis, Apep

The serpent of Chaos, sometimes equated with Seth

Apotropaic (from Greek)

Having the power to avert evil

Artaxerxes

2 Persian kings and Egyptian pharaohs (27th dynasty)

Arura, aroura (Greek)

The ground covered by a yoke of ploughing oxen in one day, about 2700 m²

Artaba (Persian)

Dry measure, about 36 litres in classical times, about 27 litres under the Ptolemies.

Aser, Asr, Ausas

see Osiris

Aset, Ast, Auset

see Isis

Ashur-Uballit

King of Assyria, contemporary of Akhenaten

Atef

Crown worn by Osiris

Aten, Aton

The sun disk, unique god of Akhenaten

Avaris, Awaris

Capital of the Hyksos kings in the Delta

Ay

1) Merneferre, pharaoh of the 13th dynasty;

2) Ay, Aye, Ai, Kheperkheperure

Vizier of Tutankhamen and pharaoh of the 18th dynasty

Ba (bA)

The "soul"

Spiritual force such as an anonymous divinity

Manifestation of a god

The king's power to rule

The eternal forces of a human, depicted in tombs as a bird with a human head.

Ba'ah, Seba-djai

The planet Venus

Badarian

Early pre-dynastic period, 3800 to 3500 BCE, also Fayum A or Merimda

Bai, Bay

Chancellor of Ramses Siptah, 19th dynasty

Bakare

Listed in the Turin King list as successor of Khafre

Bakenkhons, Bakenkhonsu, Bekenkhonsu

High Priest of Amen under Ramses II, possibly father of Nefertari, member of the Amenemope clan, block statue

Bast, Bastet, Ubasti, Pasht

Goddess of the home, Artemis to the Greeks. Her cultural centre was at Bubastis

Bat

Goddess with the form of a cow, from the Middle Kingdom on merged with Hathor

Bau

Messenger or appearance of a deity

Benben

1) The first land to rise from the primordial waters.

2) Pyramid shaped sacred stone at Heliopolis

Bennu bird (bnw)

see Phoenix

Bes, Bisu

Dwarf god

Biridiya

Ruler of Megiddo, contemporary of Akhenaten

Book of the Dead

Better The Book of Going Forth by Day. A collection of magical writings placed in tombs since the New Kingdom with the intention of helping the deceased in the after-life.

Burnaburiash

Kassite king of Babylonia, contemporary of Akhenaten

Byblos (Greek), Gebal, Gubla, Kubna (Egyptian)

City in Lebanon, important to Egyptian trade

byssus

fr. Greek bussos, fine linen

Cambyses, Kambyses

Persian king, conqueror of Egypt, founder of the 27th dynasty

Canaan

Today's Israel and southern Lebanon, above all the coastal region

Canobic, Heracleotic (from Latin, Greek)

The westernmost arm of the Nile, after the city of Canobus (Canopus)

Canopic jars (from Latin, Greek)

Vessels containing the inner organs of the deceased, generally four, in the form of the sons of Horus (from Canopus, see above)

Cartonnage (French)

Expression used by Egyptologists for the masks and coffins made of cardboard like materials.

Cartouche (French)

The name of a pharaoh in hieroglyphs surrounded by an oval band denoting eternity

Cataract (from Greek kataraktes down-rushing)

Rapids, waterfall. The first Nile cataract was Egypt's southern border

Chadouf (Arabic)

see Shadouf

Chafre, Chefren

see Khafre

Chamudi

see Khamudi

Cheops, Chufu

see Khufu

Choachyte

Greek for Egyptian wAH mw, lit. Dispenser of water, Priest in charge of the cult of the dead who, for a fee, carried out the role of undertaker

Chons, Chonsu

see Khons

Chthonic (Greek)

from the earth. Chthonic deities: Sepa, Heqet etc

Cippus (Latin)

Pointed rectangular pillar, in Egyptology: Amulet or stela showing Horus triumphing over dangerous beasts

Coffin Texts

Magical writings written on coffins since the FIP.

Corbel (from Latin)

Projection jutting out from wall, supporting structure above it. Used to make false arches

Corvée (French)

Tax in the form of labour

Crook, heka

Originally a shepherd's staff it became a symbol of power carried by pharaohs and high officials

Cubit (Origninally from Latin)

Linear measure.

1) Short cubit: 6 palms = 24 fingers;

2) Royal cubit : 7 palms = 28 digits - 52.3 cm

Darius

2 Persian kings and Egyptian pharaohs (27th dynasty)

Deben, (dbn)

Weight, equal to 10 kit, originally 27gr (copper), 13gr (gold), from NK on about 91 grammes

Greek period: monetary unit worth 20 silver drachmas, later 20 copper drachmas

Decans (from Latin decem, ten)

36 star constellations, each rising above the horizon at sunrise during ten days every year, used by the ancient Egyptian calendar

Demotic (Greek)

the last stage of development of the ancient Egyptian script

Demurrage

Charge paid by the depositors of grain in the state granaries, see credit

Dendarah, Denderah

Site of Hathor's main temple

Deshret (dSr.t)

1) The red crown of Lower Egypt;

2) The red land, i.e. the desert

Dionysos

Greek god, identified with Osiris

Djahi, Zahi

Ill defined coastal region in Canaan

Djed pillar, djet pillar (Dd)

Hieroglyph often carried as an amulet, linked to the Osiris myth

Djehuti, Thoth

1) God of knowledge and wisdom, moon god, identified with Hermes Trismegistus by the Greeks;

2) Scribe, general and viceroy under Thutmose III

Djet (Dt)

Eternity, continuous and linear as opposed to neheh

Djoser, Zoser

Old Kingdom pharaoh, 3rd dynasty

Drachma

Greek monetary unit, divided into 6 obols. The standard coin in use was the silver tetradrachma worth four drachmas.

Duat (dwA.t)

Originally the starry sky.

The Realm of the Dead, populated by the deceased who have become stars. Often somewhat misleadingly referred to as Underworld or Netherworld.

Dynasty (from Greek)

Line of hereditary rulers

Early dynastic

Historic period, 3050 to 2600 BCE, also called Naqada IIIA1 to IIIC1

Echnaton

see Akhenaten

El Amarna, Al Amarna (Arabic), Akhetaten

Capital of Egypt under Akhenaten, 18th dynasty

Electrum (from Greek)

A gold and silver alloy, used for covering the tips of obelisks

Encaustic (from Greek)

paint based on wax

Ennead (from Greek enneas, nine)

A group of nine deities, such as the Ennead of Heliopolis

All the gods of a locality

Execration texts

Texts containing curses against (state) enemies, cf. Execration rituals

Eye of Re

See Hathor

Faience (from French, after the Italian town of Faenza)

Glazed ceramics, often blue or green

Faiyoum, Faiyum, Fayoum, Fayum, Fayyoum, Fayyum

Fertile low-lying region west of the Nile

False door

symbolic door for the ka, painted or carved on a tomb wall

FIP

First Intermediate Period

Flail, flagellum (from Latin flagrum, scourge), nekhekh, nekhakha

A flail carried by the pharaoh symbolizing his power; attribute of Osiris and Min.

Geb, Keb

Earth god

Gebal, Gubla

see Byblos

Gerzean

Late pre-dynastic and protodynastic periods, 3400 to 3050 BCE, divided into

Early Gerzean, 3400 to 3300 BCE (Naqada IC, IIA, IIB)

Middle Gerzean, 3300 to 3200 BCE (Naqada IIC)

Late Gerzean, 3200 to 3050 (Naqada IID1, IID2)

Gesso (Italian)

Mixture of plaster of Paris and glue, used as a kind of putty

God's Father

Priest of intermediate rank.

God's Land, Egyptian tA nTr (Ta netjer)

Term used for some foreign, generally wooded regions: Punt in the south, but also regions in Syria etc.

Great Green (literal translation of wAD-wr )

Generally supposed to denote the Sea, especially the Mediterranean. It has also been proposed to stand for the Nile (delta) or the Fayum.

Griffin

Chimaera with a lion's body and a falcon's head, since the OK symbol of the victorious ruler

Hah

Personification of eternity, props up the heavens

Hamamat, Hammamat

Wadi connecting the Nile valley to the Red Sea near Thebes

Hannu

see Henenu

Hapi, Hapy

1) God of the Nile;

2) One of the Four Sons of Horus

Hapiru, Apiru, Habiru

Nomadic asiatics of the 2nd millennium BCE, often considered outlaws. Used to be wrongly identified with the Hebrews

Harakhte

God, see also Horus, Re

Harem (Arabic), Egyptian ipet

institution run by the pharaoh's first wife for the benefit of the pharaoh's wives and female relatives, not to be confounded with the muslim harem of later times

Haremhab

see Horemheb

Hathor

Goddess of sky, love, mirth, beauty and fertility

Hatshepsut, Hatshepsowe

Female pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Hatti, Kheta

Anatolian nation, in conflict with the Egyptians during the New Kingdom

Heb Sed (Hb-sd)

festival (Hb) celebrated after 30 years of rule or more frequently. Its precise purpose is unknown, but is supposed to have to do with the pharaoh's rejuvenation.

Hedjet, nefer-hedjet (nfr-D.t)

the white crown of Upper Egypt

Heka (HkA)

Magic

Heka-khase (HqA-xAsw.t )

see Hyksos

Hekat, Heket

see Heqat

Heliopolis, On

Main temple of the sun god Re

Hemaka

Royal sealbearer (chancellor) under Den (1st dynasty)

Henenu, Hannu, Henu

Steward and overseer of herds, 11th dynasty

Henku

Nomarch, late OK (Inscription)

Hephaestos, Hephaistos

The Greek equivalent of Ptah

Hepu

Vizier under Thutmose IV

Hepuseneb

First prophet of Amen under Hatshepsut

Heqa (HqA.t)

Crook, symbol of pharaonic authority

Heqat (HqA.t)

Measure of volume of varying size:

1) Barrel, bushel. Divided into 10 hin, c. 4.8 litres, used throughout history

2) Common bushel, double barrel, c. 9.6 litres, Middle to New Kingdom

3) Large bushel, also called oipe, about 19.2 litres

Heqat, Heqet, Hekt, Hekat, Heket (Hq.t)

Goddess of birth in the form of a frog

Her-ka-pet

The planet Saturn

Hermanubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu

see Anubis

Heru

see Horus

Heru-deshret

The planet Mars

Her-wepes-tawy

The planet Jupiter

Heseb (Hsb)

Square measure: One quarter of a tA, divided into 2 sA

Hesire

Overseer over the royal scribes under Djoser (3rd dynasty), physician and dentist

Hierakonpolis (Greek), Nekhen

Ancient southern capital

Hieratic (from Greek hieratikos, priest)

Cursive writing of Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphics (from Greek hierogluphicos, sacred writing

Egyptian writing using stylized pictures (hieroglyphs)

Hin (hnw)

lit. jar, one tenth of a heqat, about half a litre

Hittites

People of Hatti

Hor

1) Hor, pharaoh, probably 13th dynasty;

2) Hor, priest during the Late Period;

3) Hor, mountain in northern Canaan;

4) see Horus

Horbaf

Son of Khufu (4th dynasty), vizier

Hordjedef, Djedefhor

Son of Khufu (4th dynasty)

Horemheb

New Kingdom general and pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Horus, Hor, Heru, Hru

Sun god, son of Isis and Osiris

Horus name

First of the pharaonic titles, often written in a serekh

Hotep Senusret (Kahun)

Middle Kingdom planned town

House of Life

Repositories for knowledge in temples

Hyksos

The Heqa-khasut, wrongly translated as Shepherd Kings, an Asiatic people, founded a kingdom in Northern Egypt, 15th and 16th dynasties

Hypostyle

(Greek hupostulos, under columns) Building with roof supported by pillars

Ikhernofret

Chancellor under Senusret III, (Stela)

Imhotep

High official under of Djoser (3rd dynasty), later deified.

Intef, Antef, Inyotef

Pharaohs of the 11th dynasty

IP

Intermediary Period

Ipet

see harem

Isfet

disorder, chaos, opposed to Maat

Isis, Auset, Aset, Ast

Goddess of fertility and nature, consort of Osiris. Identified with Demeter and Aphrodite

Iteru (jtrw)

1) River-unit, measure of length, 20000 cubits, ca. 10 km, Greek skhoine

2) ca. 2km according to Breasted

3) River, Nile

Ithyphallic (from Greek ithuphallicos)

Having an erect penis, a sign of fertility (depictions of ba-birds, Osiris, Min or Amen, etc)

Judgment of the Dead

Decision by the gods on the afterlife of a person

Justified

maa-kheru, lit. True of voice, dead person judged favourably

Ka

Immortal part of a being, but needing nourishment, coming into existence together with the being: the "life force", continuity of existence. Cf. Body and Soul.

To go to his ka: to die

Kadashman Enlil

King of Babylon, contemporary of Amenhotep III

Kadesh, Kedesh, Qadesh

1) Fortified town in Retenu, site of famous battle

2) Goddess

Kagemni

1) Vizier under Snefru, author of the Instructions of Kagemni;

2) Vizier under Teti (6th dynasty) with famous mastaba

Kahun, Lahun, Illahun (Arabic)

Middle Kingdom planned town near the site of Hotep Senusret

Kambyses

see Cambyses

Kamutef

Lit. 'Bull of his Mother'. Name of the ithyphallic, self-created Amen and Min

Kanofer

Architect under Khasekhemwy (2nd dynasty), speculatively Imhotep's father

Karnak, Al Karnak (Arabic)

modern village, occupying the northern half of pharaonic Thebes, Ipet isut, the site of many ancient temples

Kawab

Son of Khufu (4th dynasty)

Keftiu

described as a place in the midst of the Great Green, i.e. the Mediterranean, possibly Crete, sometimes identified with Cyprus or with the whole of the Aegean

Kemet (km.t)

The black (land)

The fertile soil of the Nile flood plain

Egypt which is also called the Two Lands

Kenbet (qnb.t)

Judicial commission or court

Kezweden, Kizzuwadna

Hurrian vassal state of the Hittites in southern Anatolia

Khafre, Chafre, Chefren

Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Khaemwaset

Son of Ramses II, high priest of Ptah

Khamudi, Chamudi, Apepi II

Hyksos king

Khar (XAr)

Lit. sack, measure of capacity

1) Deka-heqat, 10 heqat, ca.48 litres. (OK, MK)

2) Deka-heqat, khar, equals 4 oipe, i.e. 16 heqat, ca. 96 litres (MK-SIP)

3) Khar, 4 oipe, 76 litres (NK-TIP)

Kheker sign (Xkr)

architectural decoration

Khekheperre-sonbu

Priest (Admonitions)

Khentamenti, Khenty-Imentiu, Chontamenti

see Anubis, also Osiris

Kheops

see Khufu

Khepresh, Kheperesh (xprS)

The blue crown

Khet (xt), khet-en-nu

Linear measure, 100 cubits, about 50 metres

Kheta

see Hatti

Kheti, Akhtoy

A number of kings ruling at Heracleopolis during the First Intermediate Period

A number of nomarchs during the First Intermediate Period:
    1) Kheti son of Tefibi (inscription)
    2) Kheti son of Sit (inscription)

Khnumhotep, Khnumhotpe

1) Khnumhotep I, nomarch (Inscription)

2) Khnumhotep II, grandson of Khnumhotep I, nomarch (Inscription)

Khons, Khonsu

1) Moon God, son of Amen and Mut, his main temple was at Karnak;

2) Called To: First prophet of Menkheperra under Ramses II

Khufu, Cheops

Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Kiosk (from French kiosque, Turkish kösk)

A roof supported by columns or poles

Kit, kite, qite, (qd.t)

weight, one tenth of a deben, about 9 grammes (during the New Kingdom)

Greek period: monetary unit worth one tenth of a deben = 2 drachmas

Kohl (fom Arabic kuhl )

Black eyeliner (cf. Cosmetics)

Kubna, Gepen

Egyptian name for Byblos

Kush, Kash

Nubian region above the second cataract

KV

Used by archaeologists together with a number to identify tombs in the Valley of the Kings

Labayu

Ruler of Shechem, contemporary of Akhenaten (cf. Amarna Letters)

Lector priest

Priest reading ritual texts

Libu, Ribu

Libyans

Lesonis

Greek for Egyptian mr-Sn, an elected official in charge of the economic management of a temple

LP

Late Period

L.P.H.

Life, prosperity, health (anx wDA snb) [1] - Wish for well-being, added after the names of pharaohs, "prosperity" should rather be "soundness"

Luxor (Arabic el Uksor)

modern village, occupying the southern half of ancient Thebes, Ipet resyt

Ma

see Meshwesh

Maa-kheru (mAa-xrw )

True of voice, justified. Used for

1) the winning party in a trial,

2) the dead whose heart weighed less than a feather

Maat, Ma'at, Mayet (maA.t)

Goddess of Truth; the world order, justice, proper conduct.

Mafdet

Goddess, symbolizing judicial authority and the execution apparatus

Mammisi (Coptic)

lit. House of Birth, sanctuary attached to a temple; dedicated to the birth of the child deity of a triad

Mastaba (Arabic mastaba, bench)

Old Kingdom, underground tomb with above ground structure

Maziqda

38 hin, about 19 litres

Medjay

Nubian mercenaries since the First Intermediary Period, police under Ahmose I and his successors

Megiddo

Important Canaanite town, site of battle

Meh-ta (mH-tA)

Area measure, 100 cubits squared, ca.27 m², New Kingdom

Memphis (Greek), Mennefer, Mof

Old Kingdom capital of Egypt (near Cairo)

Menat (mnj.t)

1) Musical instrument, castanet;

2) Broad collar or necklace, attribute of Hathor

Men, Menes, Min

First pharaoh of the united kingdom according to Herodotus, identified as Hor-aha

Menkaure, Mykerinos

Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Menkheperreseneb

High priest of Amon at Karnak, 18th dynasty

Mentuhotep, Montuhotep

4 pharaohs of the 11th dynasty

Mereruka

vizier under Teti (6th dynasty), successor of Kagemni

Meryre, Pepi I, Pepy I

Old Kingdom pharaoh, 6th dynasty

Meryt-Amen

Daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, wife of Smenkhkare(?)

Meskhenet

Goddess personification of the birthing stone, two bricks placed under the feet of the woman giving birth in a crouching position

Meshwesh (mSwS), Ma

Libyans settled in the Delta during the Third Intermediary Period, mercenaries

Metjen

Official under Snofru (Biography)

Min

Fertility god

Pharaoh, see Menes

Mitanni

Hurrian people living in Naharin (western Mesopotamia), disappeared as an independent nation during the Egyptian New Kingdom

MK

Middle Kingdom

Moeris, Moiris

1) possibly Amenemhet III.

2) Lake Moeris - lake in the Fayum excavated according to Herodotus by Moeris

Montu, Mont

War god

Montuhotep

see Mentuhotep

Mut

1) Mother goddess, often equated with Isis

2) Deceased with often malicious intentions

Nagada, Naqada

Settlement 30 km northwest of Thebes. Name for predynastic periods from 3550 to 2600 BCE

Naharin, Naharina

Region in Syria or Lebanon, at times identified with Aram Naharaim, the region between western Tigris and the Euphrates, at others with the region between the Litani and the Orontes.

Naos (Greek naos, temple)

The sanctuary with the divine statues

Narmer

King, thought by many to be the uniter of Upper and Lower Egypt

Natron (from Spanish, originally Greek)

Carbonate salt mixture used in mummifying, found at Wadi Natrun

Naucratis, Naukratis (Greek)

Ionian city in the Delta

Nebamen, Nebamon, Nebamun

Chief of police in western Thebes under Thutmose IV and Amenhoteop III

Superintendent of the grain stores under Thutmose III (cf. Abbott papyrus)

Nebwawi

High Priest of Osiris under Thutmose III (Inscription)

Necho, Neco, Necos, Nekhau

Two pharaohs of the Late Dynastic Period, 26th dynasty

Necropolis (Greek)

Greek lit. City of the dead, cemetery

Nefer (nfr)

Amulet made of gold, good luck charm

Neferkare, Pepi II, Pepy II

Old Kingdom pharaoh, 6th dynasty

Nefertari, Nefertari-Mery-Mut

Main wife of Ramses II

Nefertiti, Nefertete, Nofretete

Wife of Akhenaten

Neferty

Prophet

Neheh (nHH)

Eternity, perpetual renewal of cycles, as opposed to djet

Nehes

see Nubia

Nekhakha (nxx)

see flagellum

Nekhbet

Goddess of Upper Egypt represented in the form of a vulture

Nekhekh (nxx)

see flagellum

Nekhen, Hierakonpolis

Ancient southern capital

Nephthys, Nepthys, Nebt-Het

Goddess, wife of Seth

Neshmet (nSm.t)

The barque of Osiris

Nilometer

Place, generally with column, where the height of the Nile could be measured

Nitocris, Nitokris

daughter of Psammetic I, 26th dynasty, Wife of the God Amen

NK

New Kingdom

Nomarch (Greek)

Ruler of a nome

Nome (from Greek nomos division)

Administrative region

Nub (nb)

Gold

Nubia, Wawat

Region above the first cataract, occupied by Egypt during the 2nd Millennium BCE

Nun

Primordial god of water and fertility, depicted as a green or blue man

Nut

Goddess of the sky

Obol

Greek coin, one sixth of a drachma, divided into 8 chalkoi

Ogdoad (from Latin, Greek for eight)

The eight primeval gods of creation: Nun and Naunet, Kuk and Kauket, Huh and Hauhet, Amen and Amaunet

Oipe (jp.t)

Measure of capacity, 4 heqat, about 20 litres (NK to Roman times)

OK

Old Kingdom

On, Heliopolis (Greek)

Main temple of the sun god Re

Opening of the Mouth

ceremony performed for a deceased person

Osiris, Asr, Ausar

God of Duat, consort of Isis. Equated with the Greek Dionysos

Ostracon, Ostrakon (Greek)

a pottery sherd used for writing or sketching on, plural ostraka

Pabi

Ruler of Lachish, contemporary of Akhenaten

Paramoné (Greek)

In the Hellenist culture the obligation of a freed slave to perform services for his former master

Paser

1) Viceroy under Ay and Horemheb

2) Mayor and vizier under Sethi I and Ramses II

Pectoral (Latin)

Piece of jewellery covering upper chest

Pelusiac, Pelusian (from Greek)

The easternmost arm of the Nile, named after the town Pelusium

Pediese, Petiese, Pediaset

A number of Late Period priests, cf. The Petition of Pediese

Pepi

Two Old Kingdom pharaohs, 6th dynasty:

1)  Pepi I, Pepy I, Meryre

2)  Pepi II, Pepy II, Neferkare, Son of Pepi I

Peleset

One of the Sea Peoples, the Philistines, settled in Canaan

Peret, Pert, Proit (pr.t)

Season of Growth, from mid November to mid March in Ptolemaic times

Pesesh-kaf (psS-kf)

Ceremonial instrument used in the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony

Pharaoh (via Greek and Hebrew (par'oh) from Egyptian pr-aA - 'Great House')

Since the first millennium BCE king of Egypt,

Phoenix (Greek), Bennu bird

Mythological bird (see Bestiary)

Piankhi, Piye

Pharaoh of the Late Dynastic Period, 25th dynasty

Pre-dynastic, predynastic

Prehistoric period, 5500 to 3050 BCE

Prehirwonnef

Son of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, served in the army

Pronaos (from Greek)

Room leading to the naos

Proto-dynastic, protodynastic

Period 3200 to 3050, also called Late Gerzean

Prophet (from Greek)

Hm nTr, lit. servant of the god, Head priest

Psammetichos, Psammetic, Psamtek, Psamtik

Three pharaohs, 26th dynasty

Pseudoepigrapha (Greek)

Writings of a later date than purported, often attributed to an ancient authority like a pharaoh

Pshent

the double crown of the united Egypt

Ptach, Ptah

Creator god, Hephaestos to the Greeks

Ptahhotep

vizier under Djedkare (5th dynasty), putative author of instructions of wisdom

Punt

Apparently a region in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia and/or southern Arabia. At times identified with God's Land.

Pylon

Massive structure at the entrance of a temple complex

Pyramid texts

Texts written inside pyramids concerning the afterlife of the deceased

Pyramidion (from Greek)

Capstone of a pyramid

Qa'a

Last pharaoh of the first dynasty

Qa'a

High-roofed reception room in Egyptian houses (see The House of Djehutinefer )

Qadesh

see Kadesh

Qebehsenuef, Kebhsenuf etc

One of the four sons of Horus

Qenbet (qnb.t)

Judicial court

Qoseir, Quseir

Port on the Red Sea coast

Ra

see Re

Rameses, Ramesis, Ramesses, Ramses, Ramsis

11 pharaohs reigning during the New Kingdom, 19th and 20th dynasty

Ramose

1) Vizier under Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV;

2) Vizier under Ramses II

Re, Ra

Sun god, Helios to the Greeks, with the cult centre at Heliopolis

Red crown

Deshret (dSr.t), the crown of Lower Egypt

Rekhmire

Mayor and vizier under Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, famous tomb (Regulation laid upon the vizier)

Remen (rmn)

1) Square measure, ½ Ta, divided into two heseb ;

2) Linear measure. above all as Double remen, divided into 40 digits - almost 75 cm

3) Linear measure. 50 cubits

Rensi

governor, possibly fictional, mentioned in the story of the Eloquent Peasant

Retenu, Rezenu

The region occupied today by Syria, Lebanon and northern Israel

Rib-Addi

Ruler of Byblos, contemporary of Akhenaten

Rosetau, Rasetjau

Place in the Afterlife, the Underworld, realm of Sokar

Sabgu

The planet Mercury

Sah (sAH)

The constellation of Orion, associated with Osiris

Sakkara, Saqqara

Burial ground near Memphis

Sarcophagus (Greek sarx + phagos, flesh eating)

Stone coffin

Sau

Apotropaic amulet

Scarab

1) Dung beetle

2) Amulet in the form of a dung beetle

Sebakhin, Sebbakhin (Arabic)

Decayed mud brick used as fertilizer by modern fellahin

Sechmet, Sekhmet

Goddess of love and protection, cf. Hathor

Sed Festival, Heb Sed (Hb-sd)

Celebration of the 30th anniversary of a pharaoh's rule, sometimes celebrated after a shorter time period

Senet (zn.t)

Board game

Seniu (sniw, until the New Kingdom Sna)

Weight, one twelfth of a deben, 7.6 grammes (New Kingdom)

Senmut, Senemut

Minister and favourite of Queen Hatshepsut

Senusert, Senusret, Senwosret, Sesostris

Three Middle Kingdom pharaohs, 12th dynasty

Serdab (cellar in Arabic)

Old Kingdom underground funerary chapel with a statue of the deceased, contains small openings possibly to enable the ka to participate in the prayers and sacrifices.

Serekh (srx)

Written symbol of kingship in the shape of a palace (see the Narmer Palette)

Serpopards (from Greek)

Long-necked chimaera of Mesopotamian origin

Seshat

Goddess, her name means 'female scribe'. Perhaps a form of Nephthys

Set, Seth

God of chaos, brother of Osiris

Setau

Viceroy of Kush under Ramses II

Setchat, stat (sTAt)

Square measure, 100 cubits squared, 2500 sqm; Greek aroura

Setep (stp)

Ceremonial instrument used in the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony

Shabti, Shawabti (?) (mainly New Kingdom), Ushabti (mainly Late Period)

Mummyform statuette of the deceased placed since the Middle Kingdom in tombs to do manual labour

Shaddoof, Shadoof, Shaduf, Shadouf (Arabic)

Contraption for raising water manually

Shawabti (Swb.tj)

see shabti

Shechem, Shekhem, Sichem (Semitic)

Town in Canaan (Palestine)

Shemu, Shammu, Shamu (Smw)

The season of harvest, mid March to mid July in Ptolemaic times

Shena (Sna)

see seniu

Shepseskaf

King (4th dynasty), son of Menkaure

Sheshonk, Sheshonq

5 pharaohs reigning during the 3rd Intermediate Period, 22th and 23th dynasty

Shu

God, often identified with Heracles by the Greeks

Shuwardata

Ruler of Keilah, contemporary of Akhenaten

Sile

Town on the eastern border of the Delta (Tell Abu Seify), possibly identical with Zaru

SIP

Second Intermediate Period

Sistrum, Seistron

Musical instrument, rattle

Snefru, Sneferu, Snofru

Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Solar boat, ~ ship, ~ barque

Boat used by the sun god to cross the sky

Sopdet (spd.t), Greek Sothis

Goddess, embodiment of the star Sirius

Speos (Greek for 'cave')

Temple cut into rock

Sphinx (Greek)

Statue with lion's body and human or animal head

Stat (sTA.t)

see Setchat

Stater

Also tetradrachma, Greek 4 drachma coin

Stela, stele (plural stelae or steles) (from Greek)

Monumental stone slab with carvings

Ta (tA)

Old Kingdom area measure

10 cubits by 10 cubits, ca. 27 m²

Tadu-heba, Tadukhipa

Daughter of Tushratta, married to Amenhotep III

Talatat (from Arabic for three)

Small stone blocks used in temple walls

Talent

60 minas at 100 drachmas each, 6000 drachmas

Tamilat

see Tumilat

Tauret, Taweret, Tauwret

fertility goddess

Tefnut

Goddess of dew and rain

Tehenu, Tehennu, Ta-Seti

People living in the Sahara, Libyans

Tehuti

see Thoth

Temenos (Greek)

Enclosure adjacent to or surrounding a temple etc

Tet (tj.t),

cf. Tyet

Teti

6th dynasty pharaoh

Thebes, No, Waset, Wese

New Kingdom capital of Egypt, centre of the Amen cult

Thoth, Thot, Toth, Tehuti, Djehuti

God of wisdom, his main temple was at Hermopolis, Hermes Trismegistus to the Greeks

Thuthmose, Thutmose, Thutmosis, Tuthmosis

1) Four New Kingdom pharaohs, 18th dynasty;

2) Famous artist active under Akhenaten (Bust of Nefertiti)

TIP

Third Intermediate Period

Tiye

Wife of Amenhotep III, daughter of Yuya and Tuyu, mother of Akhenaten

Triad (from Greek 'trias' for three)

Three related gods - the Theban Triad, the Triad of Abydos, the Triad of Memphis

TT

Theban Tomb, together with a number used by archaeologists to identify ancient tombs at Thebes

Tumilat, Tamilat

Wadi connecting the easternmost arm of the Nile to the Bitter Lakes

Tushratta

King of Mitanni, first half of the 14th century BCE

Tutanchamen, Tutanchamun, Tutankhamen, Tutankhaten, Tutankhamun

New Kingdom pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Two lands

The united land of Upper and Lower Egypt, since the New Kingdom also referred to as Kemet

Tyet, Tet, The Blood of Isis, The Buckle of Isis

Symbol associated with Isis, amulet made of red semi-precious stone

Uat. Uto

Goddess identified with the Greek Leto, her centre of worship was Buto

Ubasti

see Bast

Udjat, Wedjat (wAD.t)

The eye of Horus, amulet

Unas, Weni, Wenis

Old Kingdom pharaoh, 5th dynasty

Uni

see Weni

Upuaut, Wepwawet

Guardian god in the shape of a canine

Uraeus (from Greek, from Egyptian jAr.t )

Symbolic cobra, part of the headdress of pharaohs and gods.

Userkaf

First king of the fifth dynasty

Usertesen

See Senusret

Ushabti

see shabti

Valley of the Kings

Pharaonic burial site near Thebes during the New Kingdom, modern name for ancient "The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, L.P.H., in the West of Thebes" or "The Great Field"

Valley of the Queens

Burial site of queens near Thebes

Vizier (from Arabic wazeer)

Egyptian tjati, the Arabic word for the chief minister, generally used in the context of pharaonic Egypt

Voussoir (French from Latin volsorium)

Wedge shaped stone used for building arches

Wadjet (wAD.t), also wedjat, uzat

Lunar eye of Horus. The uraeus of Re. Often used in amulet form to protect from the evil eye

Was sceptre (wAs)

Symbol of well-being and happiness

Waset, Wese

see Thebes

Wawat

see Nubia

Wedjahorresnet

Physician, Persian period

Wenamen, Wenamun, Wen-Amun, Wen-Amen, Wen-amen

20th dynasty priest sent to Byblos to buy timber

Weni, Wenis

see Unas

Weni, Uni

6th dynasty official, governor of Upper Egypt, served under a number of pharaohs

Wepwawet

Upuaut

White crown

the crown of Upper Egypt

Xerxes

Persian king and pharaoh of Egypt (585-546 BCE)

Yarsu

Syrian, sometimes identified with Merneptah Siptah's chancellor Bay.(19th dynasty)

Yuya

high official under Thutmose IV, husband of Tuyu

Zaphnathpaaneah, Zaphnath-paaneah

according to the bible the Egyptian name of Joseph

Zaru, Thalu, Tjaru

A town in the Delta on the eastern frontier, possibly identical with Sile

Zoser

see Djoser

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